South Korea and U.S. Air Forces Sign LOI to Advance Autonomous Combat Collaboration

South Korea’s Air Force announced that its chief, Gen. Son Sug-rag, and U.S. Air Force chief Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach will sign a letter of intent on Thursday to strengthen joint efforts on autonomous combat platforms. The LOI covers the autonomous collaborative platform, a system designed to operate alongside manned aircraft and unmanned assets to carry out air missions. This manned-unmanned teaming is viewed as a cornerstone of next-generation air warfare, offering greater mission reach and improved safety for aircrew.

The United States is already pushing for the development and fielding of unmanned combat aircraft, while South Korea seeks to build its own operational capabilities in this area. The two forces plan to cooperate on developing concepts, testing interoperability, and preparing for future MUM-T combat systems. The signing will take place in Seoul as part of broader defense collaboration between the two allies.